Canstruction

The great Canstruction ends tomorrow, so if there's any way you can get to 32nd and Lexington (200 Lex, to be precise, which houses the New York Design Center) before then... well, please do so. Now in its 14th year, Canstruction is a "design/build" competition for which architecture, design and/or engineering firms conceive of and construct huge sculptures made almost entirely of cans of food (sometimes other food packaging is used for details). At the end of the exhibit, all the cans go to City Harvest, to be distributed to food banks, shelters, soup kitchens, senior homes, etc., all over the city. The price of admission to see these incredibly creative, whimsical, technically challenging, exceedingly clever works of art? One can of food. The amazing creations are scattered throughout the showrooms on nearly all 15 floors of the Design Center, adding treasure-hunt appeal to the experience. Scheduling and logistics have so far prevented Bo and Co from going this year (though I'm hoping I can get them there tomorrow), but I went solo yesterday afternoon and had a blast. Here's a look at a few of my favorites. Click on any image to enlarge.

This giant hand was pretty incredible. Another thing that makes this exhibit so much fun is the setting. You walk into these high-end design showrooms, and Canstruction's brightly-colored, sometimes silly, and quite massive sculptures are just sitting amidst the "fancy" furnishing on display.


This piano was one of the most "life-like" looking pieces.


Monster-sized Connect Four!


A view of Earth from the moon. I loved the way the did "outer space," and used a Manwhich can for the astronaut.


Tough to capture in a photograph, but this two-man bobsled was technically cool in the way it was slanted, going around the "curve." Liked the water bottles for ice, too.


One of several dragons/sea serpents, this got my award for best use of small details. Like...

...Pixie Stix for whiskers (dragons have whiskers? I guess so... it looked so much more "realistic" with them included), cinnamon Ice Breakers for eyes, and those high-end tea bags for fangs....

....and a damsel in distress amid the crennelations!


This running faucet must have been nerve-wracking to construct. Wonder how many times it fell before they nailed it?


The Mobius Strip won first prize, but unfortunately had collapsed before my visit yesterday.


Cans of tuna are by FAR the most common building material used, here creating a cute alligator with a Kit-Kat tongue and caviar eyes.


One of two sushi sculptures. I liked the shrimp on this one, and the wasabi, and the fact that upside-down rice containers form the platter.